“Fine, Blake. Walk out. That’s what you do best, isn’t it!”
She wanted to take it back as soon as it left her mouth, but it was too late. It was out and could never be snatched back.
He stared at her for a moment, hurt glistened in his eyes. A moment later, his face went rigid. He turned away, grabbed his bag, spun his wheelchair around, and expertly rolled it out the door, slamming it on the way out.
Linda dropped her head in shame. He’d only been there a short time, and already she’d managed to scare him away. Why had he even come if he didn’t want to help? What was going on that he couldn’t tell her? They had been best friends so long ago. But things had changed. They had grown up. Moved on.
What was there left to do? The police had stopped looking. She’d scared Blake away, and Luna was out there, somewhere. Did she want to be rescued? The thought of Luna alone and scared made her shudder.
Chapter 20 - Jacob
The keys to all four of the trucks were kept in the box at the supply storage warehouse. That was where all incoming supplies were stored that could not be produced in the community, as well as the goods they made that they sold out in town.
Daily, the elders took blankets and baskets to a local swap meet to sell, and then they purchased the things they needed for the community. Jacob had never been inside, but after a bit of snooping around, he’d found out where the keys to the vehicles were kept. It wasn’t hard. No one would ever steal from the community. With a little hard work, all of their needs were met. There was no reason for anyone to steal. But Jacob was desperate. Rachel was out there somewhere, hopefully, alive and well. He was determined to find her, no matter the cost.
Slowly Jacob snuck through the barren desert toward the supply building in the pitch darkness. Would the door be locked? Would the guards be watching over the goods? It seemed unlikely, but ― The sound of voices echoed from the front of the building. Two men stood, conversing in the flickering light. He couldn’t hear them, but he could see their animated movements as they spoke. He sighed. This wouldn’t be as easy as he thought.
“Blessed evening, Jacob.” A deep voice startled Jacob from behind.
Jacob flipped around and came eye to eye with a familiar face.
“You frightened me,” he hissed.
Jonathan chuckled. “What are you watching?” he asked as if it was perfectly reasonable for a sixteen-year-old to be sneaking around in the middle of the night.
“Just getting some fresh air.” Jacob looked away, even though it was too dark for Jonathan to see the deception in his eyes. “What are you doing out?”
“Father needs me to pick up some linens from the storage. Lydia wet the bed again, and we are fresh out.”
“Oh,” Jacob said, eyeing the building.
“Well, I must be going.” Jonathan started off and then turned back to Jacob. “I heard what happened to Rachel. I am sorry.”
Jacob nodded in the darkness. His throat closed up so tight he could not speak. “Thank you,” he managed to croak out.
Jonathan walked the few steps back to him. “You are not planning to do something unwise, are you?”
Jacob nodded his head. It was unwise. Without a doubt. But there was no other option.
“I will help you,” Jonathan whispered through the arid, night air. “What do you want me to do?”
Jacob eyed Jonathan warily. Could he be trusted? Maybe not, but Jacob needed help. There was no way he was getting in that building unnoticed. He would have to trust someone and Jonathan seemed willing.
"What is your reason for wanting to help me?"
"Do you want my help or not? If not, I must be on my way."
“I need to get inside. To get the keys to a vehicle, so I can—”
He didn’t need to finish. Without further explanation, Jonathan understood.
“I shall distract them.” He patted Jacob on the back and walked toward the storage building.
Jacob choked back the tears of gratitude that welled in his eyes as he watched Jonathan stroll off to the shed. Boys didn’t cry. Weakness was for women.
Jacob watched intently as Jonathan approached the men. The three of them shook hands and walked to the back of the building. Jonathan turned to where Jacob was standing and gave an almost unnoticeable nod. His signal it was safe to approach.
On wobbly legs, Jacob rushed to the building and inside the double doors that hung wide open. Several lanterns hung on hooks along the walls, creating abnormally large shadows in the darkness, yet it was much better than having to struggle along in the dark. He headed to the back of the building where he was sure the keys would be kept. It only made sense that they would be somewhere by the back door where the trucks were parked.
Behind the back of the building, the three men joked and laughed.
There!
Mounted to the back wall, right next to the door, was a box labeled vehicles. It was awful close to where the men stood talking, but he had no choice. Jonathan had given him a chance, and he must take it. He crept closer to the back, dodging boxes and shelves of supplies.
What is going on here?
The place was packed full of supplies. Stacks of colorful blankets wrapped in plastic, lined the walls. Boxes labeled towels and linens were stacked to the ceiling. More than the entire community could ever use in years. He couldn’t concern himself with that. As he shuffled through the goods, his foot caught on a box. Canned goods bounced loudly to the concrete floor.
“What was that?” one of the men asked.
Jacob ducked behind a shelf to make himself invisible.
“Probably that Tom that has been sneaking around lately,” Jonathan said.
“That cat!” another said. “Had to shoo him out of here the other night.”
As the men continued their conversation, Jacob resumed his trek to the back of the building.
“Blessed evening, Jonathan,” one man said. “And tell that youngling to stop messing the bed. We are running out of linens around here.”
The box was locked. Jacob searched frantically for a key.
“I shall relay your message,” Jonathan called loudly as if in warning that the conversation was about over.
Where is the key? Where is the key?
Jacob’s heart raced.
There.
A set of keys poked out from under some papers on the desk below. Jacob grabbed them up. There were at least five keys on the ring. His hand shook as he tried the first one in the lock.
Footsteps approached. He’d never make it.
“Better get that cat out before we close up.”
Jacob flew under the desk as the men came closer.
“He is probably long gone. You go on and head out, I will lock up.”
Lock up?
Would he be stuck there until morning? There was nothing he could do. If he showed himself now, he was sure to be punished. Then he would never find Rachel.
“Blessed evening, Jonah. I shall see you bright and early.”
Jonah mumbled, “Blessed evening,” and headed in the direction of the desk.
Jacob held his breath as the man drew near. Soon the guy was so close that, if he dared, he could reach out and touch his pant leg. He didn’t dare.
“Where are those keys?” Jonah shuffled through the papers on the desk above. “They were right here.”
“Samuel must have them in his pocket.” Jonah rushed off. “Samuel, wait!”
As soon as Jonah was out of range, Jacob jumped out from under the desk and furiously tried each key in the lock. The third try was it. The key went in smoothly, and the lock turned. As he opened the door, he sighed. There they were, four sets of keys, hanging neatly, each on their own hook.
Which one? Which one?
He had to hurry, so he grabbed a set, closed the door, locked it firmly, and threw the lockbox keys under the desk. Hopefully, they’d think it had fallen back on its own. Maybe even the tomcat would get the blame.
Jacob headed out the back door
and around the building, being careful to avoid the men. By the time he reached the front of the building, the other two were already inside. He climbed up the slight incline and headed back to his house. If he were lucky, no one would have noticed his absence.
“Did you get them?”
He about jumped out of his skin. “You must stop doing that.”
“Apologies,” Jonathan said. “Did you find the keys?”
Jacob reached into his pocket and pulled out a set of keys. A grin lit his face that he couldn’t contain. He was one step closer to finding Rachel.
“I want to leave with you.”
“What do you mean? Why?” Jacob stared at Jonathan.
“I have my reasons.” He shrugged.
“No. I cannot risk it.”
“I go, or I shall inform them of your plans.” Jonathan’s face showed no sign of backing down.
“For what reason would you have ―”
“Look. I will not inform on you, but you must allow me to come with you.”
He could use the help. Jonathan was smart. He’d already been a great deal of use. “Fine, you may come.”
They shook hands. “When do we leave?”
Chapter 21 - Luna
It was laundry day. As the boys dragged out the tub for the girls and took turns filling it with scalding hot water from the wood-burning stove, Tabitha and Luna separated the clothes. At first, Luna had thought laundry day was fun. To her, the entire place was like stepping into a show of Little House on the Prairie, but she soon tired of it.
Her mind wandered back to that day once again.
“You have no place to go?” Naaman asked, taking a bite of his burger.
Luna shook her head. “No.”
“You are not safe on the streets,” he said, as if after almost being attacked and raped by three guys, she didn’t know that.
Maybe I should just go home, she thought and quickly dismissed it. She’d run away from home so many times before. And each time, she came back, begging her mother to forgive her. That time, she refused to ever return.
“You can come with me.” He raised a brow. “I have a family. We shall take care of you.”
“I couldn’t do that. Thank you for offering, though. And for the food,” she answered.
But he persisted. “You cannot stay on the streets alone. You will be harmed. Or killed.” He stared at her with what seemed a genuine concern.
At that point, she couldn’t help but agree. There was nothing for her at home, and she was sure to be killed on the streets. How could anything he had to offer be worse than the predicament she was already in?
“Okay,” she answered. “I’ll come with you.”
“Did you hear the news?” Jonathan whispered, pulling her from her memories.
The feel of his warm breath in her ear made excitement erupt inside of her. It was a sensation she’d only felt once before. She was ten. She’d had a serious crush on her teacher, Mr. Barker. She’d been crushed one morning when he announced to the class that he was getting married that summer. The entire class had cheered. But not Luna. She’d sat stock still, heart breaking. And to top it off, Mrs. Baker, formally Mrs. Stanton, was her teacher the next year. She’d gotten over her infatuation, but this was different. Jonathan stirred emotions in her she could not contain.
He set down a container full of dirty clothes in front of the washtub.
“What?” Luna asked, staring at the tub full of steaming water.
Tabitha was already separating clothes.
“Rachel has disappeared.” He stared.
“What do you mean?” Tabitha asked, dropping the dress in her hand back into the basket. “Disappeared?”
“She is gone,” Jonathan answered his sister then turned back to Luna.
“I have heard she has been rebellious,” Tabitha persisted. “She refused baptism last month and was sent to the elders for discipline. Now she is gone? Do you think she has run away? No one could get past the front gate and the fence, it is—”
“No, I do not think she has run off. I have heard she was fleshed-out.”
“Fleshed-out?” Tabitha’s hand darted to her mouth. Her eyes grew to the size of coconuts. “That is not a real . . . That does not really happen. It is only a rumor.”
“I have heard she is with child.”
“Jacob’s child?” Tabitha stared at Jonathan as if he’d grown an extra nose. “It is no secret they have a thing for each other. But there are rules. The only way they can be married is to petition the High Prophet, and even then, Rachel is only thirteen. Much too young to be married. They would never . . .” Tabitha’s voice trailed off as she stared off into nothingness. “Fleshed-out? Do you think it is a real thing?”
“Father said when he was a boy, some others were caught sneaking off in the night. He said they refused to conform and the next thing he knew they were gone. He said no one ever knew what happened to them, but some heard they were taken to the highway and released,” Jonathan stated.
“What?” Luna stared at him wildly. “What do you mean by released?”
“Shhh.” Jonathan put a finger to his lips. “He was only wishing to scare me. I do not think it really happened.” Something about his weighty stare told Luna he knew more than he was saying.
“Jonathan, come,” Noah, a younger brother, interrupted, as he struggled to drag a full bucket of water past them. “We have more to pour, we need your help.”
“I must go. We shall discuss it later,” Jonathan said as he rushed off to help Noah.
“You think they would really do that?” Luna asked as she stared off after Jonathan. “Just throw kids out on the side of the road?”
“I have heard of it before. But it is only a rumor. For sure they would not do that. Not to a girl. She would likely die in the desert alone.”
The ride she’d taken with Naaman to get there came to mind. “It’s got to be thirty to forty miles to the nearest town. She would never survive it. Especially not if she’s pregnant,” Luna said distractedly as she grabbed a dress from the pile and dipped it into the steaming hot water.
Whipping her hands out instantly, she cried out as her fingers burned red from the scalding water. She grabbed at her fevered hand.
“What were you thinking?” Tabitha gaped at her. “You know you must use the stick. Here,” she said, lifting a bucket of cool water. “Hold out your hand.”
Luna held her breath to quell the pain as she held it out, and Tabitha poured the cool water over the top of her hand. Instantly the sting abated, but within seconds it resumed, burning with pain again.
“Rebecca, are you well?” Miriam asked as she placed another basket of clothes down.
“I’m okay. I just wasn’t thinking.” Luna inspected her hand. Bright red blisters formed all along her fingers.
“You better go see Mama Josephine. She will take the heat out with vinegar and wrap it with aloe,” Tabitha said.
Josephine was the last person Luna wanted to see. She was mean, and Luna was sure the woman hated her. The two of them had only ever agreed on one thing, and that was the fact that Naaman was making a huge mistake by taking Luna as a bride.
Luna crinkled her nose at Tabitha. “I’ll be okay. Come on, let’s get the laundry going.” Luna tried to ignore the blisters that spread across her fingers and onto her palms.
“Oh, stop it. She is not the Wicked Witch, as you say. She likes you for sure.” Tabitha nodded her head vigorously as if to convince Luna she was telling the truth.
Luna’s eyebrows raised. “Wicked Witch of the West,” she clarified. “And no, she doesn’t like me.”
“Well, like or not, she will make your hand feel better. Go on. I shall get started on the wash.”
Luna grudgingly headed off to see Josephine. Without a doubt, the woman would grumble and accuse Luna of trying to get out of work, but she would treat her wound anyway. She had no choice. Wives were not protected from punishment. Luna had only heard about it, and she w
as sure it was rare, but there had been an occasion or two that a wife had been sent to the shed. In this realm, men were the ultimate authority. Whatever they said was law. Right or wrong. Good or bad. And I had the nerve to think my mother was unfair.
“Where are you going?” Jonathan asked as Luna passed him by.
He carried a large bucket of water on his shoulder as if it was as light as a feather. His muscles bulged out from underneath his button-down shirt, showing just how strong he was.
“To see Josephine.” Luna rolled her eyes and held up her hand.
“Ouch!” he agreed. “I will speak to you later about—”
“I will beat you there,” Noah shouted as he passed his brother, carrying a smaller bucket of water.
“Oh, no, you will not!” Jonathan called back. “Later, okay?” He winked at Luna and grinned.
Luna nodded and watched as he ran to catch up with his younger sibling.
“I am coming up behind you,” he said, making Noah squeal and spill water all over the front of his shirt.
Good thing they are done pouring the hot water or Noah would be following me to see Josephine.
As Luna headed into the house, Tamar sat on the porch, braiding a rug, humming. She stopped at the sound of Luna’s approach. As soon as Tamar saw who it was, she gave Luna a defiant sneer, turned away, and continued to hum. She hadn’t spoken to Luna since she’d gotten her in trouble and Luna didn’t blame her.
As she passed up the steps, Tamar glanced up at her and then back to her project without an acknowledgment. Luna wanted to say something, apologize, but her hand felt like she’d been stung by a thousand bees and she couldn’t stop until she got relief. Besides, maybe Tamar just needed a little more time before she would forgive Luna. If Naaman found out Tamar had not pardoned her, she’d have been sent back to the shed. After all, holding grudges was a sin. Luna couldn’t chance Tamar getting into more trouble because of her, so she let it go.
She found Mama Josephine in the kitchen peeling potatoes. Luna had acquired an extreme hatred for potatoes. Especially boiled, cold ones.
“Mama Josephine?” Luna spoke, startling her.
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